Ukraine officials held in military drone corruption probe

A Ukrainian MP and other officials have been arrested after the country’s anti-corruption agencies uncovered what they call a large-scale bribery scheme in the purchase of drones and electronic warfare systems.

In a statement on X, President Volodymyr Zelensky said a Ukrainian MP, heads of district and city administrations and several National Guard service members had been exposed for their involvement, which involved state contracts with suppliers being signed at prices inflated by up to 30%.

Zelensky wrote that there can be “zero tolerance” for corruption in Ukraine, and thanked the agencies for their work.

The independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies was restored on Thursday, following nationwide protests.

Zelensky’s government faced an extensive backlash after introducing a bill that would strip the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, known as Nabu and Sap respectively, of their independence.

The president claimed the agencies needed to be “cleared of Russian influence”, and sought to give the general prosecutor the authority to decide who should be prosecuted in high-level corruption cases.

Many saw the move as a step backwards for corruption in Ukraine, resulting in the largest anti-government demonstrations since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of the country in 2022.

Zelensky acknowledged public anger and submitted a new bill restoring the agencies’ former independence, which was voted through by parliament just nine days after the original bill had been passed.

The head of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), Kyrylo Budanov, thanked Zelensky for “hearing the public’s call” regarding the powers of anti-corruption agencies and “not making a mistake”.

The move was also praised by EU allies, who had voiced concerns over the implications of the original bill.

The fight against corruption is significant in Ukraine’s bid to join the EU. The creation of Nabu and Sap was a requirement set by the European Commission and International Monetary Fund in 2014, in order to move towards a relaxation of visa restrictions.

As a result, Kyiv was granted EU candidate status in 2022, bringing the nation another step towards closer ties with the West.

Since their establishment, Nabu and Sap have been involved in far-reaching investigations into the misappropriation of millions of dollars’ worth of assets and bribes across various ministries and sectors.

A joint investigation in 2023 resulted in the arrest of the head of Ukraine’s Supreme Court, Vsevolod Kniaziev, in connection with a $3m (£2.4m; €2.9m) bribe.